The Long Gaze Back – A Giveaway!
To celebrate Irish women writers, I am delighted to host a very exciting giveaway on the blog this week.

I will be giving away a hardback copy of The Long Gaze Back, an anthology of short stories by Irish female writers, edited by Sinéad Gleeson along with a copy of Maeve Brennan’s novella The Visitor, from which The Long Gaze Back takes its name.
The Long Gaze Back was published last year to showcase the many women writers in Ireland whose work has been overlooked in the past. The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories was published in 1989 and included only 7 women writers out of 39 stories. Worse still, the Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing published in 1984 contained no women writers at all.
In 2001, Evelyn Conlon and Hans Christian Oeser edited a collection which aimed to redress the balance. Cutting the Night in Two featured short stories from 34 Irish female writers which made it clear that these writers had always been out there, they just weren’t being heard.
The Long Gaze Back follows on from this, featuring as it does 34 writers and spanning 218 years. The collection includes stories from Maria Edgeworth, Charlotte Riddell and Norah Hoult and includes 22 living writers, all of whom have included stories never before published.
The Long Gaze Back is a substantial harvest, a seriously comprehensive and celebratory volume. The Irish Times
Sinéad Gleeson has described the anthology as a triptych, featuring deceased classic writers; well established writers from the last decade like Anne Enright and the new voices currently emerging from Ireland – Belinda McKeon, Mary Costello and Lisa McInerney. The themes covered in the anthology show the breadth and depth of issues facing women today and throughout history – emigration, pregnancy, loss, capitalism, motherhood, ghosts, art and much more.

The Long Gaze Back was the winner of the TheJournal.ie Best Irish-Published Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2015
There’s nothing girly about these stories; there are no clichés, no Mr. Rights, no wedding bells, no evenings with Chardonnay. Instead, this collection represents the richness of women’s lives, past and present. The joy, the compassion, the anger, the sadness. It’s all there. Sunday Independent
Maeve Brenan’s novella The Visitor was written in the mid-1940s but was only discovered in a university archive and republished in 2006.

It tells the haunting story of Anastasia King, who, at the age of 22, following the deaths of her parents, returns to her grandmother’s house in Ireland where she lived as a child. However, instead of solace, she finds coldness and intransigence from her grandmother and comes to realise that refuge may not lie in the past after all.
The Visitor is the work of a sure hand…and Brennan’s prose is terse and exquisitely precise throughout…Only in the work of Emily Dickinson can the same ferocious vision – of love, pain, transgression and death – and economy of expression be found. The Guardian

If you would like to win these two fantastic books, simply comment below telling me either your favourite Irish woman writer or just your favourite woman writer and you will be entered into the draw which will take place on Friday.
Good luck!
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Ireland Month #begorrathon16 #readireland16 anne enright belinda mckeon female writers irelandmonth16 lisa mcinerney maeve brennan maria edgeworth norah hoult readwomen short stories sinead gleeson the long gaze back the visitor
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
What a lovely giveaway! My favourite Irish woman writer has to be Elizabeth Bowen – her prose is just gorgeous. Woman writer generally? Wow – I’d be stuck choosing between Woolf, Colette, Dorothy Richardson….. That’s a hard one! Very keen to read Maeve Brennan, so fingers crossed! 🙂
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Good choices! I think you might like Maeve Brennan – good luck!
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Molly Keane is my favourite Irish woman writer. I lover her exquisite prose, the way her characters drift in and out of each other, and the consequences of all that.
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Claire Keegan for her calming ways.
Her writing is so well crafted – clear, clean and precise, but also completely beautiful and evocative. Despite the frequently chilling themes, reading her is like sitting back in a sun trapped winter garden with a sea view.
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Well now you’ve just made me want to read her!
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That’s a lovely giveaway, Cathy, thank you for hosting it! My top Irish women writers are Iris Murdoch and Elizabeth Bowen. 🙂 And I am curious about Maeve Brennan!
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I really have to read some Elizabeth Bowen, too many people are recommending her!
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My favourite Irish author is Maria Edgeworth – often overlooked now although celebrated during her lifetime. Castle Rackrent is one of my favourite novels.
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Hers is the first story in the anthology Pam! Good luck!
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It’s so difficult to name just one writer, but, as she hasn’t been mentioned and I wish she was better known, I’ll name Maura Laverty. And I must mention Kate O’Brien too. And I want to read more of Somerville and Ross ….
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Yes, Maura Laverty! She deserves to be much more widely read.
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Ah these are all interesting reads!
My most favorite woman writer would be Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the books I am thankful to have read in my early teens. Another one would be Martha Grimes. I love her wit and humor, and her mysteries are always written with heart. Her Richard Jury series have made me cry, laugh, ponder and dream. Her novels never fail to entertain.
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I’ve never heard of Martha Grimes before, I must check her work out!
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My favourite women writers are Miriam Toews and Alice Munro. My favourite Irish women writers are Elizabeth Bowen and Emma Donoghue. (I can never only choose one!)
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Neither can I Jocelyn!
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I haven’t read nearly enough Irish literature to be able to say with authority who my favorite woman writer is, but I really liked what I’ve read of Edna O’Brien and Elizabeth Bowen so far. And Mary Costello’s Academy Street is so beautiful that I’d love to read more of her writing. And in case you’ve forgotten my many comments about Maggie O’Farrell, I have to add her here as well. 🙂
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There is a Mary Costello story in this anthology TJ. I’m going to get Academy Street from library as I’ve heard so many good things.
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This may be the best giveaway I have seen in 2016! Congrats, Cathy! If international entries are allowed (Spain) I would love to enter. I have longed for short stories of lately, and despite my love for anything Irish, I have to admit I am not well-read in Irish literature.
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Yes Elena, I’ll post world wide ao consider yourself entered!
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Thank you, Cathy. It’s very generous of you x
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Very fond of Edna O’Brien.
I enjoyed Danielle McLaughlin’s short story in The Stinging Fly recently (the name of which escapes me) and can’t wait to get Dinosaurs On Other Planets.
These books would be nice to add to my collection.
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I really enjoyed Dinosaurs David, really assured debut.
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What a hard choice. I think my favorite Irish Author would have to be Edna O’ Brien followed closely by Anne Enright but then I am leaving out Nuala O’Faolain! I adored ‘The Visitor’ – it was one of those borrowed books that nearly did not return to its rightful owner so I would be delighted to win a copy.
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Good to know Shauna, I’m saving it for Novella November and am really looking forward to it.
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I’m ashamed to say I don’t have a favourite Irish woman writer, since I’ve read practically none – which is exactly why I need this book! 😉 My favourite woman writer has to be Jane O’Austen, and I bet she had some Irish blood in her veins somewhere…
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Everybody has a wee bit of Irish blood in them sure!
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Yes, please! to both of these books! 🙂
I’m not so good at favourites, but a few I have enjoyed recently are Maggie O’Farrell, Anakana Schofield and Nuala O’Connor.
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Oh I’d love to read Anakana Schofield’s latest, but..well…you know… 😉
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I know… 🙂
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Oh I’m not sure I know enough Irish women writers to have a favourite but I’m going to choose Tana French.
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Ooh good choice Cleo!
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Thank you 🙂
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Elizabeth Bowen & Maggie O ‘Farrell love them both
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Love Maggie O’Farrell!
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I must admit I haven’t read nearly as many Irish writers as I should, but one of my favourite female Irish writers to date is Maeve Binchy. I’m looking forward to adding some more onto my tbr list soon though!
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Maeve Binchy is a legend though!
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Sara Baume is my favourite Irish Woman Writer. I adored her ‘Spill Simmer Falter Wither’. 🙂
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Oh I have that one Deepika – my husband bought me it for our wedding anniversary. Can’t wait to read it!
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It was lyrical, and moving, Cathy. I hope you will like it. Happy reading. 🙂
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Such a great giveaway 🙂 I’m really keen to read Maeve Brennan since your review of The Rose Garden. Many of my favourite authors have already been named, so I’ll just give a little mention to Eimear McBride – she may have only written one novel so far, but what a debut it was!
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I agree with you, a stunning book. Good luck!
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There are a few of my favorite Irish writers mentioned already but I have to mention one of my favorites from when I was young, Marita Conlon-McKenna. I loved Under the Hawthorn Tree and my heart ached for the O’Driscoll children! My favorite female authors include Edith Nesbit (the imagination), Jean Auel (the historical accuracy) and Jane Austen (the Mr Darcy 😊)
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Yes! I remember reading that when I was young. Good choice!
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Oh, Molly Keane is such a delight, with all her dark humour and mean, mean characters! Overall, one cannot beat Margaret Laurence’s wonderful writing.
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Molly Keane is on my to-read list!
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I look forward to reading your thoughts when you do!
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Margaret Mitchell or Gone with the Wind fame!
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Oooh, a very enticing giveaway indeed!
There has been such a staggering boom in new Irish women writers that it’s really hard to pick. However, Emma Donoghue has been a huge favourite with me – both Hood and of course Room are masterpieces. I also read Claire-Louise Bennett’s debut collection, Pond, over Christmas, and was completely blown away!
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Ooh I’d love to read Pond! Good to hear positive feedback!
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Marita Conlon McKenna and June Considine would be fav’s of mine from my childhood.
In adulthood, I think Marian Keyes is great (and much maligned for being ‘popular’ unfortunately, but she has a very distinctive style)
In general, many of my favourite writers are women – Margaret Atwood, Lionel Shriver, Donna Tartt, Tana French – I could go on all day 🙂
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Good shout out for Marian Keyes – she is really underrated.
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Edna O’Brien & Maeve Brennan.
Gorgeous writers both. Lyrical, intelligent & perfect.
Lovely idea this! xXx
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Thanks Carol x
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Another vote here for Claire Keegan. I am in awe of the emotional power her writing holds, yet she never resorts to the mawkish, schmaltzy sentimentality so often passed off as “emotion”.
Hard to do the “favourite of all time” thing, but I have recently read quite a bit of Katherine Mansfield and found her very impressive. Would love to read Maeve Brennan.
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Thanks for that and good luck!
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Definitely want to read more by Irish women. I do love the work of Nuala O’Faolain but am very eager to read more by Edna O’Brien and many others mentioned here.
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I haven’t read any Nuala O’Faolain yet but would really like to! Good luck!
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I loved Belinda McKeons Solace
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I’ve just reviewed Tender and am looking forward to reading Solace at some point.
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Different answer every week but this week it’s tge poet, Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Thanks Kate, that’s a new name to me!
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My favourite is definetely Emer Martin, an author who (in my opinion) has not received the attention she deserves. Her last novel Baby Zero is a must read in these times! I also love Emma Donoghue, or Éilís Ní Dhuibhne among many other brilliant Irish women writers.
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Thanks Aida, Emer Martin is another new name to me so will check Baby Zero out.
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What an exciting giveaway! I’m honestly just excited to find out The Long Gaze Back exists.
My favorite Irish woman writer is Melissa Hill. I know not everyone appreciates contemporary chick lit, but I love her sense of plot and plot twists.
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Thanks for commenting. I’m afraid the draw closed yesterday. Some great chick lit has come out of Ireland!
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Ah, no worries, it still made it on to my tbr, which is a win!
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Always a win 😉
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